Manufacture of pn eumatic-ti re



4 Sheets-Sheet l. F. W. MORGANVz E. W.'YO'UNG. MANUFAGTURE 0F PNBUMATIG TIRE TUBES.

Patented Jun-e 14, 1898.

(No Model.)

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet; 2. P. W. MORGAN & E. W. YUNG. MANUFAGTURB 0F PNEUMATIC TIRE TUBES.

G. W. YOUN N & E. TUBES. P' W' vgEGo PNBUM-ATIG TIRE MANUFA y 14,1898. Patented June M w mi I i' l .I 4 f E C. N. D. Asnmcrc mo.. w

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mi Non 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 G'. W YON F. W glGo PNEUMATIC TIRE MANUF (No Model') a fr 898, Patented June 14, 1

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s no. PHOTOUTHO ms PETE THE Non UNITEDSTATES PATENT OEEIcE. I

FRED W.t MORGAN, OF OHIOAGO, AND ERNEST W. YOUNG, OE AUSTIN, ILLI- NOIs, AssIGNORs To THE MORGANaY WRIGHT, or OHIOAGO, ILLINOIS.

MAN Uhl- ACTUR- oF PN E UMIATlc-.TIREKTU BES.

SPECIFICATION forming fait ofk Letters raten@ No. 605,644, dated .rime 14, 189e. Application nanmh 1o, 189s. sein No. 673,331." oto man.)

To a/ZZ whom t Ina/y concern;

Beit known that we, FRED W. MORGAN,

residing at Chicago, and ERNEST WXYOUNG,"

residing at Austin, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, citizen's'of the United States,-

liave invented a certain new and useful 1m` provement in the Manufacture of Pneumatic- Tire Tubes, ofwhich the follwing isa'spe'ciiication'.

The objects of our invention are to rapidly and economically produce pneumatic .-tire tubes, and more particularly tire-tubes adapted as sheaths or easings for double-tube tires, having great endurance and a high degree of perfectiomto avoidnthe defects incident to pneumatic-tiretubes moldedrup'on mandrels, to avoid theslow process ofwknitting together the edges of a strip of textile fabric and strips of rubber as generally practiced, and to dispense with skilled labor and the expense attending the same. Y f

To the attainment of the foregoing and other useful ends our invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a strip or blank of textile material which is to be rolled in to tubularform. Fi gs. 2 and 3 show strips of 'rubber.which are to be appliedto the strip of textile material. Fig. 4 illustrates the application of the strip of Fig. 2 to A.the strip of textile material. Fig. 5 illustrates the application of vthe strip of Fig. 3 to the strip of textile'material. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the composite fabric formed by the strips of Figs. 1, 2, andv3. Fig. 7 shows on a larger scale the way in which the composite fabric is rolled into tubular form by a pole or mandrel. Fig. 8 shows on a reduced scale'the strip of composite fabric rolledinto tubular form upon a pole or mandrel. Fig. 9 is aseotion vthrough Fig. 8, on line w, onan'enlarged scale. Fig. 10' is a like view, on line @j y, through a portion of the composite fabric. Fig. 11 shows on a ,smaller scale thetubular structure removed from 'the mandrel and broken away, c onerendof the tubullarstructure being turned bahel; and thebther end being provided with a band. Fig-12 shows on a larger scale, in 'longitudinal central section, the endvportions lof the tubular structure of Fig. 11. Fig. 13

. larger nthan the latter.

. shows on ascale corresponding with Fig. 11 lthe tubular structure brought into annular A form with its ends telescoped. Fig. 14E shows n-a larger scale and in longitudinal section .throughy Fig. 13,`on line e z, the vunited or vtelescoped ends Vof the tubular structure.` Fig. 15 showsakeystone strip. Fig. 16 shows a rubber strip: Fig. 17 illustrates the Inode of'applying thekeystone strip of Fig. 15 to the tubular structure. ;Fig. 1S illustrates a portion of the tubular structure with the keystone strip applied. Fig. 19 is a like View showing the application of a strip such as illustrated by 16. Fig. 20 shows a completed tire-tube reinforced along its tread and base.-

Incarrying out our invention we prepare a strip A of textile material of alength andwidth suitable for forming a tubular structure corresponding lin, dimensions with the dimensions of the laye of Vtextile material in a pneumatic tire, the preferred form of such strip or blank being best shown in Fig. 1, wherein the strip, is contracted in width at its terminal portions a. /Ve also prepare a couple of thin rubber strips B and C of unequal lengths, the former being (somewhat tile materialv is spread out flat upon a suitable `bed or table, and the long strip B of rubber is laid upon a portion of the strip of textile material, as in Fig. 4, wherein it will be seen that the strip of rubber is of a width to extend partially across the width of the main portion of the strip of textile material, although its terminal portions may and preferably do substantially correspond in width with the narrow terminalv portions ct of the strip of textile material. When thus applied, the rubber strip desirably extends beyond one end .of the strip A of the textile material, as at b, and also has one of its longitudinal edge portions extended somewhat beyond one of the longitudinal edges of the strip ofvtextile material, as ,at b In the `-main, however, the, rubber strip B extendsjfrom one edgelof the strip` of'textile material'across a portionof the width of the latter.l The wholethat is to say, the structure-composed' of the lstrips A and B-is then turned over and again spread out fiat, and the short rubber The strip A of tex- ICO strip C is then applied so as to extend across a portion of the width of the strip of textile material and also preferably extend somewhat beyond one of the longitudinal edges of the strip of textile material, as at c, Fig. 5. By such arrangement we provide a sheet of composite fabric composed of a layer of textile material A, provided 011 opposite sides with layers of rubber respectively extending over different portions of its width, so as to alternate in position relatively tothe width of the layer of textile material-that is to say, one layer of rubber extends across a portion of the width of the strip or layer of textile material on one side of the latter, while the other layer of rubber extends across the remaining portion of the width of the strip or layer of textile material, but on the other side of the latter strip or layer. The free longitudinal edge portion b' of the rubber strip B can then be folded over upon the strip of textile material, as in Fig. G, although this is not strictly necessary.

3y thus forming a composite fabric composed of strips or layers of rubber and textile material, as hereinbefore described, such composite fabric can be quickly and readily rolled upon a straight pole or mandrel D, so as to forma tube composed of a couple of tubular layers of textile material arranged between two single layers of rubber. The composite fabric, prepared as aforesaid, is therefore laid upon a suitable bed or table and rolled into tubular form upon a mandrel D, the commencement of such step being illustrated in Fig. 7.

It will be understood from such illustration that the act of rolling the mandrel over the composite fabric causes the mandrel to piek up such fabric and that the mandrel is rolled over the fabric so as to roll up the latterinto tubular form. It will also be seen that by rolling the mandrel in the directiouof the arrow in Fig. 7 the rubber strip l; will be caused to form the inner layerof the tubular structure, while the rubber strip C will be caused to form the outer layer, and that the strip of textile material will be rolled upon itself, so as to provide between such two layers of rubber a couple of layers or plies of text-ile material. The composite fabric can thus be quickly rolled without the exercise of special skill, thereby dispensing with the undesirably slow process and skilled labor heretofore incident to the common process of forming allattened tubular structure by bringing together and manually knitting the edges of a fabric composed of layers of rubber and textile material. lVhcn the composite fabric hereinbefore described is being rolled by the mandrel into tubular form, the edge portion Z1 of the rubber strip l, whether left free or folded back upon the textile material, as illustrated, will be brought opposite a line between adjacent edges of the rubber strips I3 and C, as at the point a, Fig. 7, and hence will suitably su pply the textile material with rubber along such line. After the composite fabric has been thus rolled by the straight mandrel into tubular form its general appearance will be substantially as in Fig. S, it being observed that at one of the prior steps, preferably just before or after applying rubber strip B to the strip of textile material, as in Fig. 4, the textile fabric is preferably reinforced at a suitable point by a relatively small strip E of textile or like fabric which I term a lacing-strip, for the reason that the completed tire can be split to a limited extent through such strip for the introduction of an inner air-tube and then laced up along such line of split. The tubular structure formed as aforesaid is then removed from the mandrel. After such removal 011e end of the tubular structure is turned back upon itself, as at the left-hand end of Fig. ll, and if desired a rubber band F can be applied to the opposite end of such tubular structure, althoughsuchbandcanbeomitted. Theends of the tubular structure are then broughttogether and telescoped, the turned-back end portion hereinbefore referred to being then reversely turned, so as to bring it over the end provided with the band F, as illustrated in Fig. lt. The tubularstrueture, being now endless, is moderately inflated, as illustrated by Fig. 13, and then further completed by first wrapping about a portion of the exposed textile fabric a loZengc-shaped strip Gr of textile fabric termed a keystone7 strip, as in Fig. 17, and then covering the entire exposed surface of textile fabric between-the ends of thc outer tubular rubber layer C with arubber strip II, which then practically forms a portion of such outer rubber layer. The tread side of the tire is then preferably reinforced or thickened by a rubber strip I, Fig. 20, and the annular tubular structure thus formed is then molded and vulcanized. In some cases a rubber strip K can be applied vto the base, but for the sake of lightness we generally omit such strip.

The molding can be attained by in Hating the tubular structure and wrapping it with suitable fabric and then subjecting the tire to vulcanization, or it can be introduced within a metal mold and there vulcanized. The intlation hereinbefore mentioned could be attained by primarily providing the tubular structure with an in {lation-valve, but we prefer as a matter of further improvement to avoid such expense by injecting air through the medium of a hypodermie inllating-needle. After molding and vulcanization the vulcanized tire-tube is then deflated and split along the lacing-strip. An inner air-tube having a valve is then introduced, and the tire-tube is then laced up along the line of split.

'By the foregoing method we are enabled to produce tires having great strength and cndurance, to form them perfectly and uniformly, and to so form them in a highly economical and expeditious way and without specially skilled labor.

IOO

IIO

By suitablywidening the strip or blank A the tire can of course be made With more than two plies of fabric, as will be obvious Without further illustration.

What We claim as our invention is- 1. The Within-described process of forming pneumatic-tire tubes consisting essentiallyin the following steps, to Wit: forming a strip of textile material and strips of rubber severally of less Width than the strip of textile material; producing a composite fabric by yapplyprovide a pneumatic-tire tube.

2. The Within-described process of forming pneumatic-tire tubes consisting essentially in the following steps, to Wit: forminga strip of textile material and strips of rubber severally of less Width than the strip of textile matrial; producing a composite fabric by applying the strips of rubber respectively to opposite sides of the strip of textile material, and respectively over different portions of theI width of the latter s o as to relatively 4alternate in position thereon; rolling up this composite fabric into tubular form by rolling a pole or mandrel over such composite fabric spread out upon a bed or table; removing such tubular structure from the mandrel and uniting its ends; inliating this endless tubular structure thus formed by hypodermically injecting air therein; and then molding and vulcanizing this inflated tubular structure, so

as to produce a pneumatic-tire tube.

3. An endless, annular pneumatictire tube comprising in its structure and characterized by a strip of textile material having upon one side a thin rubber strip extending from one of its longitudinal edges part Way across its Width, and having upon its opposite 'side a strip of lrubber extending from one of its longitudinal edges part Way across its Width, the

composite fabric thus formed being rolled into tubular form with contiguous tubular plies of textile material arranged between inner and outer plies or layers of rubber provided by the rubber strips on opposite sides of the -strip of textile material, and the Whole molded and vulcanized, substantially as described.

` FRED W. MORGAN.

ERNEST W. YOUNG.

l/Vitnesses:

ARTHUR F. DURAND, MARGARET M. WAGNER. 

